Jamie Laing broke down in tears after completing his gruelling Ultra Marathon challenge and raising an incredible £2,007,114 for Comic Relief on Friday.
The BBC Radio 1 presenter, 36, undertook the whopping 150-mile, five-day run from London to Salford and couldn’t contain his emotion and was comforted by wife Sophie Habboo.
Chocking back tears a jubilant Jamie declared: ‘Thank you so much. That is unbelievable! You’re changing lives. Thank you so much!’.
He was met by cheering crowds as he crossed the finished line to meet his wife and fellow Radio 1 hosts Greg James, Vick Hope and Jeremiah Asiamah.
Jamie gushed: ‘At one point I thought I was down and out. Mentally I was gone, physically I was broken. I didn’t have anything left in me. Something pulled me out.
Before adding: ‘The last kilometre was the most euphoric thing I’ve ever had.’
The final day of his five day challenge saw Jamie joined for a stretch by Greg, who looked rather fetching in a wedding dress and garter.
And in a bid to give him a boost in morale ahead of his latest run, Jamie’s pal Toby was on hand to offer him some support at the start line, with their emotional reunion captured on air as well as a in a heart-warming video shared on Instagram.
Jamie struggled to hold back the tears as he embraced Toby, who played a pivotal role in the TV star’s journey towards a healthier attitude toward anxiety and mental health – encouraging him to get out and run as a way to cope.
Reacting to his pal, Jamie sobbed: ‘My friend Toby was the best man at my wedding. He was the guy I phoned up when I was in a bad space. I hadn’t told anybody I was feeling bad. He said, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll get through it together’.’
‘Toby is the one who was there with me, was the one I spoke to and he’s here today with me. So it means so much.’
Toby responded: ‘I honestly have no idea what to say. From me to you Jamie, from the moment you stepped into my life 17 years ago, you’ve made it better. You are a great friend, you’re an inspiration to everyone…
‘I’ve been lucky to know that all this time, but you are one of a kind. Thank you for having me as a part of this. I’m in awe of you, I love you mate.’
Meanwhile, things took a lighter turn later in the day when Jamie was joined for a period of his run by radio host Greg, 39, who rocked a fetching ivory wedding gown.
Greg had previously told Jamie that he’d join him in his challenge in a wedding gown if donations exceeded £450,000, with fans smashing that total with ease.
The wedding dress was also in honour of Greg’s now wife Bella who proposed to him ahead of his own Gregathlon challenge for Sport Relief back in 2018.
Giving an update on his part of the run on Radio 1, Greg, who complete his bridal look with a veil and lace gloves, shared: ‘The whole thing feels like a fever dream.
‘I’m currently running with him, at his pace, which I’ve got to say is really amazing. Genuinely. For running nerds he’s doing 6:00/km, still. Day 5.
‘I’m with the couple of guys here that he’s running with, proper long-distance runners looking after him on the road. And they’ve said they’ve not seen anything like it, for a non-runner to immediately fall into that sort of speed is crazy. He’s just… he’s on one!’
Jamie kicked off his journey on day one in London and ran to Harpenden, before his second day saw him run from Wyboston to Kettering.
The TV star began his third day in Market Harborough and headed to Loughborough.
On his fourth day, Jamie ran from Kegworth (through Belper and Derby) and finished up in Matlock.
The fifth and final day saw Jamie start in Buxton and will end his challenge in Salford, Manchester.
It comes after Jamie admitted his ‘whole body is in agony’ amid his gruelling Ultra Marathons challenge for Comic Relief.
On Thursday, the former Made In Chelsea star told The Sun: ‘My whole body is in agony. The donations are the only thing pushing me through. I can’t believe the support.’
At the end of day four, an exhausted Jamie fell to the ground before wife Sophie Habboo comforted him.
Jamie threw up during day four of his brutal Ultra Marathons challenge on Thursday and was seen on the road with paramedics.
Jamie’s penultimate route saw him run from Kegworth, through Belper and Derby, before finishing in Matlock.
Speaking after completing his third day on Wednesday evening, he said: ‘That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, hands down.
‘There was a point today where we were about halfway, 25 kilometres, in and I just didn’t think I had it. That was it. I was done.’
He continued: ‘But it was amazing to run into the crowd at Loughborough, it was incredible – and for Oli and Soph to surprise me today, I couldn’t believe it.
‘Everything is quite overwhelming at the moment – I’m a broken man right now and although my body is seizing up and I’m mentally drained and scared about tomorrow, somehow it is still a good feeling. We go again!’
It was revealed by Matt on Thursday morning that this total donations had been topped, reaching a whopping £510,000 and sending Jamie into tears.
Jamie was later joined by friend and former Made In Chelsea co-star JP (Josh Patterson), who provided some much-needed moral support along the way for his final run.
The money raised for Radio 1’s Ultra Marathon Man with Jamie for Red Nose Day will provide vital funds that could help put food on plates and roofs over heads, keep little ones safe and help support families affected by conflict here in the UK and around the world.
Radio 1’s Ultra Marathon Man with Jamie Laing for Red Nose Day will be broadcast live on Radio 1 and BBC Sounds across the week, with video highlights on Radio 1’s social channels.
